Balance of the World

Chapter 14: A Way Back

Zoey sighed contentedly as she snuggled into something warm lying next to her and a moment later her eyes fluttered open. She gave a frown as she looked ahead of her and she grinned again as she found Elias lying next to her, smiling down at her as he stroked her hair.

“Hello, Angel,” he murmured. “How are you feeling, my love?”

“Much better,” she smiled in a daze. “Where’s Eona?”

“Making dinner,” he replied, pulling her closer to hug her tightly. “You’ve been asleep since we came back. I was starting to worry.”

“I was having a wonderful dream,” she grinned as she stretched and slid her arms around his neck. “I dreamt that a handsome general snuck into my room while I was asleep and sang to me.”

“Did he wake you?” Elias asked through a smirk of his own as he buried his face into her neck, making her giggle.

“Not at first,” Zoey smiled. “When he kissed me, I did.”

“And how did he kiss you?” he whispered into her ear before pulling away enough to gaze into her eyes. “Like this, perhaps?”

Elias pressed his lips to hers and kissed her deeply, making her giggle again as he rolled her onto her back, shifting the kiss to passionate and making her moan. Her fingers threaded through his thick black hair to pull him closer as his mouth trailed to her neck. A knock on the door made him give a small growl and Zoey gave a giggle.

“Yes?” he called, his tone slightly irritable.

“Elias, there’s a letter for you and Zoey,” Eona called from the other side of the door and Zoey frowned at him as he stood from the bed and stepped toward the door. He opened it and leaned back on the doorframe as Eona handed the letter to him and he examined it as Zoey sat up in the bed. Eona peeked into the room and smiled, waving to Zoey who quickly climbed out of the bed and headed toward them. “You look like you’re feeling much better, Zoey.”

“I am,” Zoey nodded. “How are you feeling, Eona?”

“Much better myself, thank you,” Eona nodded before both girls looked to Elias. “Well, what does it say, Elias?”

“It’s an invitation to King/Captain Kaysar’s castle,” he replied, still reading the letter. “We are cordially invited to Castle Harma where King/Captain Kaysar will honor the Enuria with a ball.”

“How sweet of him,” Zoey smiled. “Who else will be there?”

“Everyone of importance, I’d guess,” Elias shrugged. “The Generals, Felix and Chanel may be there, and of course Kaysar’s crew. His castle is near the shore, so the mermaids can be part of the entertainment. He’s done that before.”

“Sounds like fun,” Zoey smiled, then turned to ask Eona with a bright smile, “What’s for dinner? Do you need help with anything?”

“Actually, I could use some help with a few things,” Eona smiled, waving Zoey toward the kitchen as she headed there as well and Zoey quickly pressed a kiss to Elias’s cheek before heading after Eona.

Evening...

“That was delicious!” Zoey giggled, spinning into the bedroom with Elias behind her and she plopped onto the bed as he shut the door behind him. “Eona can cook!”

“I did miss her cooking,” Elias agreed and ran to jump onto his bed next to Zoey, making her giggle when she bounced on the bed and looked down at him as he cradled his head in his hands. “You’re happier than I’ve ever seen you.”

“Well, everything’s back to normal now, right?” she smiled, curling up next to him and he lowered his arm to wrap it around her. “That makes me happier.”

“Angel,” he murmured, shifting to face her as she smiled up at him. “Thank you for removing the scales from my face. You did not have to.”

“I know,” she nodded, lifting a hand to stroke his face. “I wasn’t sure if I was going to come back and I wanted to leave you with something…good.”

“I have something good, my love,” he smiled, pulling her closer to lean his lips a breath away from hers. “I have you now.”

“Yes, you do,” Zoey grinned, meeting his lips with hers in a small kiss before adding, “Until I go back home, I’m all yours.”

Elias froze and leaned his face from hers, making her frown at him in wonder.

“Until…you go back?” he echoed with a frown of his own.

“Well, yeah,” Zoey nodded, still confused. “I thought you knew. I can’t stay here, Elias.”

“Why not?” he questioned and they both sat up as Zoey still frowned at him.

“My mother, sister and friends are back home,” she explained. “I’ve disappeared without a trace there! They’ll all be looking for me!”

“After all of this, you’ll just leave? What about…our love?”

“Elias, this doesn’t mean I don’t love you. I love you more than any man I’ve ever met, but my life is at home.”

“Make a new life here, with me,” he suggested, taking her hands into his. “I love you far more than any of them do.”

“I have no doubt of that, my love, but it’s not that easy,” she argued.

Elias looked deep into her eyes and suddenly recalled the discussion he’d had with Felix the first night they’d spent at the wizard’s home. He had said she would want to go home. That she was home sick. He knew he couldn’t compete with her family. There was no contest.

“I suppose…” he trailed off as she frowned in wonder at him, but he took in a breath and continued, “Whatever will make you happy. I have no call to tell you where to live.”

“Elias, please don’t look so depressed,” she begged, pulling her hands from his and slipping her arms around his neck to pull herself closer to him. “I still have to figure out how to get back home. Which means I’ll need a place to stay until I do. I’ll stay here if you want me to.”

“Of course I do, Angel,” Elias smiled weakly, sliding his arms around her. “Where else would you stay if not with the man you love?”

“I do love you, Elias,” Zoey whispered. “I don’t want you to ever forget that.”

“How can I forget, my love?” he smiled, lifting a hand to stroke her face with the back of his fingers. “I only loved one other before you, and I cannot imagine loving anyone else after you.”

“Are you trying to make me feel guilty?” she sighed, bowing her head.

He took her chin into his grasp and brought her gaze to his, shaking his head as he answered, “No, darling. I’m trying to tell you that I will never forget you, no matter what happens.”

Zoey smiled, feeling a tear trickle down her cheek that he brushed away with his thumb before leaning forward and capturing her lips with his. She moaned in approval and pulled him closer as they fell back onto the bed with Zoey on top of him and her hands slid down to rest on his chest as his settled on her hips. A moment later they came out of their lip-lock to gaze into each other’s eyes, both realizing what was about to happen.

“Angel,” Elias breathed. “If you’re at all…uncomfortable—”

“I’m not,” she interrupted, shaking her head as she bit her lower lip. “I’m not uncomfortable at all, Elias.”

She gave a startled shout when he rolled her onto her back, planting his lips to hers again in a passionate kiss which she melted into without resisting, even when she felt his fingers begin to pull at her top. Instead, her hands went to work on pulling off his shirt as well as his lips trailed down her neck.

Castle Harma...

“Where be that wonderful lass o’ yours, Elias?” Kaysar grinned, heading down the steps of the castle and slapping the General on the back.

Elias grunted before turning to Kaysar, straightening out his black jacket and replying, “She and Eona will be here any moment.”

“Ye seem upset,” Kaysar noticed.

Elias glanced at the King before nodding and replying, “Zoey has decided she must go back home.”

“Ah,” Kaysar nodded in understanding. “Well, ye had to see that comin’ aye?”

“No,” Elias sighed, tiredly. “I didn’t. Felix warned me, but I didn’t listen.”

“Don’t tell me ye begged like a dog to her that she stay,” Kaysar pleaded.

“No,” Elias chuckled. “I came close, believe me. But I didn’t.”

Kaysar gripped his friend’s shoulders and gave him a reassuring squeeze as he grinned, “Never fear, eh? Love conquers all, they say.”

“Yes, well, this time it was the love for her family that conquered,” Elias muttered, hearing hoof beats heading toward them and he turned around to see Phantom galloping toward them with Zoey and Eona on his back.

“These beauties combine are lighter than you are any day, Blackwood,” Phantom instantly quipped.

Elias said nothing as he watched Zoey dismount with wide eyes. She was wearing one of Eona’s dresses. A long, flowing, lavender chiffon dress embroidered with silver around every border and around her waist. Her hair was curled and bouncing around her shoulders as she ran toward the men, Eona hurrying behind her in her dark blue dress that was a similar style to the one Zoey wore.

“Hello, Elias,” she grinned before stepping to Kaysar and giving a curtsey. “Hello YourMajesty.”

“Stop it, love,” Kaysar chuckled, taking one of her hands and kissing it, politely. “Ye’re embarrassing me. Ye look so lovely, I’m blushing.”

Zoey gave a giggle as he lowered her hand and she turned back to a still staring Elias to take his arm in hers as Eona stepped up to the other side of him.

“Good afternoon, Your Majesty,” Eona curtsied and offered her hand to Kaysar as well.

“Ah, the famous Eona,” Kaysar grinned, taking her hand and kissing it as he had Zoey’s. “We finally meet. Elias told me ye were a beauty, but he never went to mentionin’ exactly how gorgeous ye are.”

“Captain, you flatter me,” Eona smiled as he lowered her hand then clapped.

“Well! Now that the guest of honor is here, let’s get inside, eh?” Kaysar entreated with a sweeping gesture up the stairs.

Elias beamed with pride as he headed up the stairs with two beautiful women on each arm as Kaysar led them up the steps and inside the castle. The roofless fortress allowed the brilliant sunlight into the grand hall where they found groups of all kinds of creatures mingling.

Varen was surrounded by a group of female Wizards and Elves, no doubt telling them about his heroic part in Zoey’s fight with Jellina and basking in the attention. Zoey noticed Namir running from end to end of the hall and she frowned wondering what she might be doing before glancing around the room to find someone she needed to speak to.

“Felix!” Elias called, waving a hand toward his right where Zoey was standing and she shot her eyes up to see the very Wizard she’d been looking for. “How are you, my friend?”

“Well, Elias,” Felix smiled to the grinning general and shaking his hand before looking to Eona who gave a sweet smile. His eyes were wide in disbelief as he stepped toward her and held a hand toward her.

“Eona?” he breathed. “Is that…truly you?”

She said nothing as she threw her arms around his neck and he wrapped his arms around her waist.

“How sweet,” Zoey smiled, hugging Elias’s arm as he gazed at them for a moment before looking down at her. “Everyone has a happily ever after.”

Elias nodded, but he didn’t feel like he was getting a happily ever after. The woman he loved was going to leave and he would be left alone again. Why did he not have any kind of luck with women?

“I need to talk to Felix for a moment,” she whispered to him, making him frown down at her before registering her words and nodding before looking to see Felix and Eona stepping out of their embrace. She called to the wizard who looked up at her with wide eyes filled with surprise. “May I speak with you for a moment? I promise I’ll bring you back to Eona when I’m finished.”

Felix gave a chuckle and nodded before turning to Eona and pressing a tender kiss to her lips before reluctantly releasing her and stepping toward Zoey who pulled him to the side by the arm.

“What’s wrong, Zoey?” Felix asked with a frown or wonder as they stopped next to a long, decorated table.

“Nothing’s wrong,” she replied. “I wanted to ask you about getting back to my world. Has anyone ever done it before?”

“You plan to go back?” Felix guessed and Zoey only nodded. “Well, no one I’ve known has ever gone back, but it can be done. You simply go back to the place you first appeared in Kalina and say, Eska.”

“And how do I get back here if I want to visit?” Zoey asked but frowned in wonder when his expression fell in sorrow. “Felix? What’s wrong?”

“There is no way back, Zoey,” he murmured, making her eyes shoot wide in disbelief.

“W-What?” she breathed.

“The doorway you came through will remain open as long as you’re here,” he explained. “But once you go back, it closes behind you for good. If you leave, you can never come back.”

Zoey felt her heart clench so tightly she couldn’t breathe. Felix frowned at her in concern before pulling up a chair at the table and setting it behind her so that she could sit. She placed her hand over her heart as she felt tears come to her eyes and he knelt next to her when she grabbed one of his hands, tightly.

“Zoey?” he whispered. “Are you alright? You are ghostly pale. Shall I get Elias?”

“No!” she choked, shaking her head. “No, don’t. I just…need a moment.”

“Have you told Elias you’re leaving?” Felix couldn’t help but ask and she looked up at him and only nodded as she felt tears start to roll down her cheeks. “And he didn’t tell you any of this?”

Zoey looked up at him with a frown of wonder and asked, “He knew all of this?”

“I thought so,” Felix nodded. “At least how to get back to your world. I’m unsure if he knew you would never be able to return.”

Zoey looked away from him, panting and trying to breathe before she shook her head, saying, “I don’t think he knew about that.”

“Perhaps you need more time to think about it?” he suggested, but she shook her head again, taking in a very deep breath.

“No,” she sighed. “I’ve made my decision. I can’t leave my family the way I did.”

“You know that means you will never see Elias again, don’t you?” Felix said, wanting her to be sure she understood everything.

Zoey could only nod before quickly wiping her tears away and putting on a smile.

“Well, I’ll just have to spend some time here before I go home now, won’t I?” she grinned, trying to cheer up so that no one would ask what was wrong. “Thank you, Felix. Let’s enjoy the ball now. Where is Chanel?”

“She is here…somewhere,” Felix replied with a slight frown at her. “Zoey, are you sure—?”

“I’ll be fine, Felix,” she assured him. “I died once…I think I can handle it again.”

Felix looked to her in concern, knowing exactly what she meant when she said that, but before he could try speaking to her a little longer, her attention was called by Kaysar as he approached.

“Zoey!” he called, waving to her as she stood and he took her hand to drag her across the room as music suddenly started and they stopped on the dance floor so that he could frame her for a Waltz. “May I have this dance, lass?”

“Well, you are the king,” Zoey smiled and he led her in a dance then frowned at her in wonder.

“Were ye cryin’, love?” he wondered and Zoey glanced away from him in embarrassment.

“I was,” she nodded and looked back at him to shrug, “but I’m fine now. I just found something out that I didn’t know before and it was…a bit of a shock.”

“Ah…ye found out you could never come back once ye left, eh?” Kaysar assumed and Zoey looked up at him in disbelief. “I’m a mind reader, love. Didn’t ye know? It’s a requirement for a King.”

Zoey couldn’t help but giggle, knowing he was joking and he smiled at making her laugh then suddenly pulled her off of the dance floor, making her frown in wonder.

“Captain, what—?”

They stopped and he turned to her, digging into his pocket and pulling out a circular object.

“I want to give ye somethin’,” he explained, holding the thing toward her. “This is one of me compass’s. The Elves gave it to me. They put some sort o’ spell on it so that it points to your heart’s desire.”

“Oh, I can’t take this,” Zoey argued.

“Aye, ye can, lass,” Kaysar insisted, placing the compass in her hands.

Zoey looked over the silver, detailed casing then looked up at him with a frown to ask, “Why are you giving this to me?”

Kaysar smirked, placing his hands on her shoulders to look he in the eye before saying, “Because sometimes, what we think we should do, is not what we truly want.”

Zoey frowned at him in wonder and he chuckled, patting her cheek gently as he added, “Ye’ll understand when the time comes.”

“Zoey!”

She spun around when she heard Elias call and watched him approach for a moment before turning back to Kaysar.

“Thank you for the gift, Captain,” she smiled. “You really didn’t have to.”

“I think I did, love,” Kaysar smirked, bowing grandly just as Elias stepped up to them and tapped her shoulder.

She turned and smiled at him, tucking the compass into a hidden pocket in her dress so that he could take her hands.

“I saw you crying when you were speaking to Felix,” he murmured, making her smile fall slightly. “What’s happened, my love?”

Zoey swallowed before smiling again and shaking her head to shrug, “Oh, it was nothing. Just my…over dramatics again.”

“Zoey—”

“It’s nothing, Elias,” she said again then glanced to the dance floor and smiled wider. “Dance with me?”

Elias frowned and looked to the dance floor before looking to her and shaking his head, saying, “Oh, Zoey…I don’t dance.”

“Don’t or won’t?” she smirked, pulling him toward the floor and he pulled her back to throw his arms around her.

“Both,” he murmured inching closer to her face. “I’d rather find a nice quiet spot and kiss you until your lips are swollen.”

“That’s a lot of kissing,” Zoey smiled. “We can do that tonight.”

She quickly pulled away from his grip then grabbed his hand and dragged him toward the floor again, catching him off guard.

“Zoey—?!”

“Just one dance, please?” she begged as they stopped on the dance floor and she wrapped his arms around her.

Elias sighed in defeat and framed her for a dance, making her grin and he couldn’t help smiling at seeing her so happy. He made a promise as he led her in the dance that however long she stayed until she left, he would do whatever he could to make her as happy as she was at that moment.

One Week Later...

Zoey giggled hysterically while Elias tickled her as they tangled themselves even more in the sheets of the bed they were lying in.

“Say it!” he ordered, both laughing as he leaned over her, still tickling her.

“No! I refuse!” she laughed, kicking and trying to shove him off of her.

“Say it, or I won’t stop!”

Zoey still laughed, then finally threw her arms around his neck and planted her lips to his, knowing that was the only thing that would stop him. Sure enough, he froze and melted into the kiss, slipping his arms around her to pull her close as he settled on top of her.

“Say it,” he murmured as his lips trailed down to her neck.

“Fine,” she sighed in defeat and he lifted his head to look at her with a grin as she sighed, “The Masked General is no more.”

“Now how hard was that?” Elias wondered, lowering his head to her neck again.

“Extremely hard, because I liked my Masked Knight,” she muttered, making Elias chuckle before he rolled onto his back, taking her with him and she gave a startled shout before she giggled when she landed on top of him.

“I am still your Masked Knight, my love,” he smiled, holding her close. “That will never change.”

Zoey smiled and rested her head on his chest to snuggle against him, both sighing in contentment before she started chewing nervously on her lower lip.

“Elias?” she murmured.

“Yes, Angel?” he replied, stroking her back soothingly. Zoey swallowed instead of answering, making Elias frown and he craned his neck to try to catch her eye. When she still said nothing, or looked at him, he lifted a hand to gently grip her chin and pull her gaze to his. “What’s the matter?”

She swallowed again and this time, she breathed, “I think it’s time I go back home, my love.”

His frown fell away as he gave a sigh and Zoey shifted to bury her face into the crook of his neck as he wrapped both arms around her again.

“Alright,” he muttered. “When?”

“As soon as possible,” she murmured. “I don’t want to drag this out any longer.”

He nodded before asking, “Perhaps…you can visit?”

Zoey shut her eyes tightly, trying to stop the tears that were starting as Elias frowned when she didn’t respond right away.

“Zoey?”

“I can’t come back, Elias,” she shuddered. “Felix told me…once I leave I can never come back.”

She felt him swallow and looked up at him to shift and look him in the eye.

“That’s why you were crying at the ball,” Elias realized and she only nodded. “And why you’ve spent the last week here.”

“I wanted to spend as much time with you as I could,” she shuddered, tears freely flowing down her cheeks.

“Angel, please don’t cry,” he begged, lifting a hand to brush her tears away.

“But I’ll never see you again!” she sobbed, lowering her head to his chest. “I won’t see Eona, or Felix and Chanel, or Kaysar and Namir, or Varen—!”

“Please, Zoey, stop,” he whispered, pulling her closer. “We’ll not drag this out any longer. I’ll take you to the place you appeared tomorrow.”

Zoey lifted her head and looked at him with wide, teary eyes, shuddering, “Are you angry with me?”

“No, my love,” he smiled, weakly as he lifted a hand to stroke her hair back from her face. “I could never be angry with you. I just want you to be happy.”

“I would be happier if I could at least have the option of coming back to see you,” she sniffled, then suddenly looked back at him in wide-eyed realization. “Why don’t you…come with me?”

Elias stared at her in surprise as she only stared back expectantly.

“Felix didn’t tell you?” he whispered, making Zoey frown in wonder and he continued, “The only way a person can go back is if they stand in the exact spot where they appeared. I could go back myself, at the same time you do, but I would end up back in London, not your home. And I don’t think…after all this time that I could live in that world. This is the only world I know.”

Zoey nodded in understanding. She didn’t want him to be unhappy just so that she could be with him. She rested against him again and snuggled into his chest, allowing him to feel her tears falling onto his chest.

“I want to say goodbye to everyone before I go,” she whispered.

“Of course,” he replied. “We’ll do that tomorrow.”

“I want Varen to take me to the spot where I came in,” she said quickly, making Elias frown down at her but she didn’t move. “It’ll be hard enough saying good bye to you, I don’t want it to be any harder for either of us.”

Elias nodded in understanding before laying his head back and replying, “Very well. We’ll say our goodbyes before Varen takes you there, then.”

Zoey nodded and Elias hugged her close, kissing the top of her head before murmuring, “Sleep, my love. You’ll need your rest for tomorrow.”

“I love you, Elias,” she shuddered.

“And I love you, Angel,” he whispered. “Go to sleep.”